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I vividly remember where I was.

In my living room, on the floor, wearing a white t-shirt and pj bottoms my grandma had made for me.

My mom, angrily, turns off the TV at the beginning of the bottom of the 9th after numerous demands that I go to bed because I had school in the morning. I went crazy! I began crying and screaming! It was the only time I can remember my brother (a Dodger-hater) came to my defense and told mom that she should allow me to watch the rest of the game. God bless him forever!!!

WOW! I still get chills!!!

I remember going to school the next morning and playing kickball and trying to score so that I could pump my fist like St. Gibson did the night before.

I was a newlywed (May 1988) living in Sacramento and only 22. I was a Dodgers fan, but not a Dodgers fanatic back then. However, my hubby and I, being sports fans, did watch the game and I must say, it’s was pretty memorable. I wish I was a Dodger fanatic like I am now because I am sure it would have meant more to me if I had. However, I am a fanatic now, and I can watch and read about it over and over again because it’s not only Dodger history, it’s baseball history.

I was watching the gsme at home and was so astounded by what I witnessed, I don’t think I slept at all that night.
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Enchanted ~ you can keep your (TM) name (even though I love it)…..to me Frank is a Fishing piece of Soap!

stansthemann, the game was played on a Saturday evening. I received a call around 2 PM from a friend of mine offering me tickets to the game. I was at work and could not leave in time to make the game, which started around 5 PM so I declined. Besides, my wife and I had a prior commitment for the evening. During the reception of that event I was listening to the game on a transistor radio (anyone remember those?) with an earphone and found out I was not the only one there doing that when Gibson hit the home run. I could not believe it and it took me a while to regain my composure to explain to the other people around me what happened. I still get goosebumps watching the replay and I encourage you to watch the entire at bat to really appreciate the moment. I just love the little smile on Gibson’s face when he steps out of the box before the last pitch, knowing that he was prepared for the pitch. What a great moment. What intrigues me to this day is what happened to the ball. The TV camera shot cuts off just as the ball reaches the fans making it unclear who came up with the ball. The memorable part of that shot is the red tail lights of a car in the parking lot behind the right field pavillion as that fan realized he just missed a remarkable moment in baseball history. So where is that ball?

Wow, hard to believe that was 22 years ago and hard to accept that the Dodgers have not been back to the series since.

I was at a University of Arizona football game, listening to the Dodgers on my Walkman, surrounded by A’s fans. Had the pleasure and honor of relaying the call of Gibby’s home run to my section. I went absolutely crazy!! A’s fans were stunned to say the least.

Thank you, Gibby: even though you manage an enemy now, you’ll always be my hero!

One of my favorite parts of the video of that home run is the car leaving the parking lot beyond the right field fence: love how the brake lights come on.

I was at home, in my living room. I got so fed up with Joe Garagiola’s inane comments that I turned down the sound and listened to Don Drysdale’s call. Here’s a link to the transcript: http://tinyurl.com/28azvgk

A friend of mine had tickets to the game, and was one of those who left early. I think she’s been kicking herself ever since!

I remember it well, just like Nelly, I was 22, at the time, and living in Santa Rosa. I was watching the game with my father, and can remember how good the A’s were projected to be. I had a previous engagement and my ride (whom was a Giant fan) had arrived. The mood up until the 9th inning was pretty depressing, to say the least. As I started to walk out the door, it was announced that Gibby was going to pinch hit, so I waited in the doorway, while trying to maintain hope and faith. I told my father just moment’s before that this was far from over, as he had just recieved news that he had terminal cancer, at the age of 48. He loved the Dodgers and needed something uplifting in his life at that point, we all did. Then came the dramatic HR, that we all know so well. To me and my father it was more than just uplifting it was truly a magical moment. That series turned out to be the last set of Dodger games, I had the pleasure of enjoying with the man, that introduced to me the game and our beloved Dodgers. He lasted almost a year longer than projected and somehow, I like to believe that that 88 team played a small role his will to fight. He never gave up until the morphine forced him too. Thank you, Gibby and Crew!!

A member of the real Cleaver Family (June Darlin’, Barbara Billingsly) passed away today. She was 94. What memories she holds in my heart everytime I log onto ITD as being her namesake on here and creating some fun ITD History using her name, along with Ward Dear, Wally and Beaver. Oh, some of the crazy times we have had on here with that family.

I really don’t want to believe that they signed Lilly for 3 years but it hard to trust this management and plus Lilly is 34 years old. I know I’m late but I hate hearing ex former players having cancer and I hope everything is ok. I know Wooden past away but happy belated 100th bday if he was still alive.

Glad to see Lilly re-signed, though 3 years on a 34 year old is a bit of a gamble (and Classic Colletti).

Day 2,452 of the Dodgers Held Hostage.

There are no words to explain how I feel right now.

Fool me once, shame on you.

Fool me twice, shame on me.

How many times have we been fooled?

I’ve been turned into Plaschke, I’m so irrate.

Surrounded in a sea of black and orange, home of the fair-weather fanbase, loud as a lion whenever the rare occasion happens that they’re an October factor (or playing the Dodgers), quiet as a mouse at all other times.

Reduced to having to hope the Cryin’ Hawaiian and pals can spank the Giants soundly and send them to bed.

And don’t even get me started on the American League.

Meanwhile, Mr. Self-Important is so far in denial, he thinks Angelinos like him for using OUR team, OUR treasure, BASEBALL’S treasure, to wipe his backside, making sure no micron is spared from the acridity.

Hiring an ex-Yankee, who’s been out of baseball for 10 years (save coaching Australia), to be our (potential) HITTING INSTRUCTOR?!!!

Knowing McCourt, that’s a fast track to the Manager’s office.

And you thought Wallach was plan B? You ain’t seen nothing yet.

If Frank McCourt was a despot of a third world nation, his generals would’ve mutinied by now.

Schmoozer for GM, smoke-blowing two-faced disappointment for an owner.

What do you do when you still believe in the Dodgers, but everything the owner says or does leaves you shaking your head in disbelief.

It’s tough to keep on holding the torch when the owner “tinkles” out the flame every chance he gets (thanks for the word, Eric Collins, stay classy).

We all want to believe, and that’s what Frank McCourt is banking on.

Having McCourt as owner for the “forseeable future” he’s hoping for would be reminiscent of when Marty McFly read in the alternate-1985 newspaper that President Nixon, seeking his fifth term, was promising the US would be out of the Vietnam War by 1985.

I keep trying to wake up, but it hasn’t worked yet.

As I write this, my Dodgers hat, bought before last year’s NLCS (right before I returned home to find out that the McCourts held themselves in higher esteem than the team, the fans OR the playoffs) gathers dust.

Haven’t worn it in months.

Still wear my Brooklyn blue, but that L.A. hat has been tarnished worse than any dust could muster.

I’ll return to silence now. You know what they say: If you have nothing nice to say…

[…don’t say anything at all after ripping ownership in a lengthy internet diatribe I’ll regret an instant after hitting “Submit”]

{“Submit”. That word pretty much sums up the only concrete portion of McCourt’s plans for Dodger fans.}

Kahli – Those signs are really in very bad taste. It makes it easy for us not to do things like that since we can’t have signs at Dodger Stadium, and I don’t think they are allowed at AT&T Park either if I recall. I showed that picture to my hubby and son, and they said their broadcasters didn’t mention them, but I would have to think the morning show guys will.

Kahli – Those signs are really in very bad taste. It makes it easy for us not to do things like that since we can’t have signs at Dodger Stadium, and I don’t think they are allowed at AT&T Park either if I recall. I showed that picture to my hubby and son, and they said their broadcasters didn’t mention them, but I would have to think the morning show guys will.

Lilly – soft tossing 34 year old left hander. Might be OK if your expectations for him are what they should be – 4th starter numbers – hoping no one in the front office actually expects him to headline the staff.

Eh – could be alright next year, but sometime, somewhere, somehow his signing will come back and bite Ned in the asss like all his signings do.

My condolences to the Billingsley family over the loss of Barbara. While most people old enough will remember her for Leave It To Beaver, I will forever remember and chuckle at her role in Airplane.

I kind of half followed the Giants-Phillies game last night, not really sure what I wanted to see. I agree, it is hard for a Dodger fan to root for either one of these teams. I did expect the Phillies to prevail just because I thought they have a better offense but shame on Halladay for those meatball pitches to Cody Ross, especially the second one in the exact same location, and kudos to Ross for hitting them out. I think the Dodgers knew Ross might be a decent hitter someday but at the time he was caught up in a plethora of similar looking players when he was with the Dodgers. Don’t get caught up in the fact he is an ex-Dodger since he never really had much of a chance and has bounced around since leaving the Dodgers.

I do find the Lilly signing interesting in that it comes so early in the process and it is for three years. Yes, I agree it is a gamble but with so limited options for the Dodgers, this could be one of those risks worth taking. I have to assume Lilly wanted to stay with the Dodgers and he does give them a veteran presence on the mound.

I was kind of on the Phillies side until their phans decided to show their true colors once again. However, I am not holding all Phillies Phans accountable because given the same circumstances (if we could have signs) at Dodger Stadium I could see some of our cretin fans doing the same thing and same goes for gnat fans. Maybe Citizen’s Bank Park needs to address the issue so stuff like that doesn’t happen. Then again, we have the frickin’ beach ball issue that seems to never go away. In my classroom, I have signed my name on the side of the Phillies (along with 5 1/2 of my students) and I am stuck with them for this series. Yep, one student couldn’t decide so he wrote his name right in the middle – lol!!.

Hello ITD,
Rest in peace Barbara Billinsley.
I was remembering you guys here when I was reading the obituaries in the California section of the LA Times. R.I.P. also to Raymond Taix, owner of the landmark LA French restaurant close to Dodger Stadium.
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I remember a sign one of the times we went to the Phone Booth Park. We were sitting in the LF side and someone had a sign saying “A Good Dodger is a Death Dodger. ” I could not believe they would let someone in with that kind of sign. Somewhere I have a picture and a security guy comes out in the picture.
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Dodgerloger,
Good to read you here!
Emmahttp://crzblue.mlblogs.com

Three cheers for Cody Ross! He was the reason that the Giants advanced to the Division Championship series and now he is the reason that they are one game up. I’m happy for him because when the Dodgers had him he received shoddy treatment and was never really given a chance. I remember in one game he drove in 7 runs with a grand slam and a 3-run HR if memory serves me right, yet he was benched the next day and was gone a little while later. Interesting how two Dodger discards, Ross and Werth, hit HRs off two of the best pitchers in baseball in the crucial first game of the series. Another indication of why the Dodgers are onlookers from 12 games back instead of participants. Things might be different if Dodger management could recognize ability and potential instead of shelling out big bucks and blocking roster spots with has-beens and players in decline.

Ross started only because J.D. Drew got the afternoon off after playing the night before, and went on to drive in seven runs. He hit a go-ahead grand slam in the fifth off Oliver Perez (0-2) and a three-run drive an inning later against Damaso Marte.

On Oct 15, 1988, I was with my ex-girlfriend, she was sleeping on the couch and I was watching the game. I yelled, “He did it” startling her awake. She said “Who did what?”.
I said “the Dodger who looks like your ex-boyfriend, just won the game with a homerun”. “Kirk Gibson”.
We were living at 589 Morgan Ave in Greenpoint, B’Klyn.
Hard to believe 22 years ago. Time Flies.

I was attending a bike show in Reno, so I watched the game in a motel room with my wife and business partner. After I got done yelling and waving my arms around, he informed me the A’s would still win the series. HA Ha, Herscheiser pitched the next night and you know the rest.

Hi all! Saw the news last night on Lilly, and I am happy to have him back! While I hope Ned does not think he will be our ace, I do like his stuff, and picture him as a solid, middle of the rotation guy, kind of like Kuroda a few years ago.

from the McCourt Case………….. This has all been on the Twitter wire (via Molly Knight) in the last 30 minutes. Sounds like their might be a decision made soon. Each side had to turn in a document stating how they think the judge will decide. Frank’s was 38 pages long and Jamie’s was 36 pages long.

In their filing, Team Jamie argues that no contract (re: Dodger ownership) was ever formed b/c different versions were signed, They write: “The parties have identified only three reported cases from any jurisdiction in the US where parties have executed two different and inconsistent versions of what purported to be the same instrument. In each of those cases the courts concluded that
“no contract had been created because of lack of mutual assent.” They argue Judge Gordon should rip up MPA and make Dodgers community prop. Frank’s attys write: “Both parties read and approved the Mass version of MPA (giving him the Dodgers).” Neither read the CA version (making Dodgers community property) before it was signed. Team Frank argues Mass MPA was what both parties intended and should be enforced. Today is significant because the judge was not going to rule until he received these proposed decision statements. Now it’s game time.

Former Dodger outfielder Cody Ross is a postseason hero for the Giants, breaking up a no-hitter Sunday for the third consecutive game with a home run ? his fourth homer in those three playoff games. Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News fills in some backstory on how Ross got to the Giants.

Four years ago, Ross was memorably designated for assignment by the Dodgers, a mere four days after he hit two homers and drove in seven runs in an April 13, 2006 game at Pittsburgh. (He was traded to Cincinnati on April 24.) At the time, Ross was 25 years old and had 15 major-league hits. He had his downs and ups after that, but he’s certainly making the Dodgers look bad now. Old story, of course.

Anyway, you might not remember the why of the Dodgers cutting him loose: Ex-Giant executive Ned Colletti felt they needed to add a second baseman rather than rely on ex-Giant Ramon Martinez for infield depth in the aftermath of a beaning of ex-Giant Jeff Kent ? though as it turned out, Kent only missed one game. The Dodgers called up Oscar Robles and went with an outfield that included J.D. Drew, ex-Giant Kenny Lofton, ex-Giant Ricky Ledee, ex-Giant Jose Cruz, Jr. and Jason Repko. (Barely a week later, Ledee went on the disabled list, and Andre Ethier was called up to make his major-league debut.)

Magic Johnson’s victories have a way of turning into victories for all of Los Angeles, so there’s a way the city could benefit from his selling his minority ownership stake in the Los Angeles Lakers. There’s a way the city icon can restore one of L.A.’s signature properties.

Magic Johnson should buy the Los Angeles Dodgers.

If Johnson isn’t selling his Lakers share to join Mike Ilitch’s purchase of the Detroit Pistons — and Johnson’s former agent Lon Rosen insisted Monday that Johnson will not — he should look at the local baseball team.

[. . .]

Magic was the one who started to remove the spell the Dodgers had held over the city since moving from Brooklyn in 1957, to the point the Lakers have first dibs on the city’s sporting heart. It’s not even close right now. The Dodgers have become more TMZ than ESPN, with the divorce trial of Frank and Jamie McCourt revealing their personal fallacies, their lavish spending (on themselves, not the team) and their sometimes gloomy projections for the Dodgers’ future. Fans were wary of them initially, were tolerant of them while the team made three playoff appearances in the four previous years, and now are sick and disgusted with them.

[. . .]

If it’s going to take $1 billion to buy the Dodgers, why not sell them to a guy who has demonstrated the ability to raise $1 billion multiple times with his Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund? Or perhaps McCourt could go out the way he came in, with a highly leveraged deal using real estate as collateral. In Johnson’s case, he could put up his various movie theaters and Starbucks coffee shops around the country.

[. . .]

Think of the cultural significance: Johnson could become the first black owner in Major League Baseball of the team that had the first black player.

[. . .]

Does he know baseball? Well, he probably didn’t know every last bean of the coffee business before he partnered with Starbucks, but he made sure to learn from those who did. That’s because, most of all, he knows what works. It’s about investing in smart people and hard workers, regardless of the business.

Los Angeles loves him. The Dodgers need him. Johnson is nothing if not successful. Does anyone doubt that if he bought the Dodgers it could be Winnin’ Time all over again?

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Pipe dream at this point, but what a pipe dream.

And Magic sounds like the type of businessman who would do things the right way, find people who know what they’re doing (without being bound to an owner who robs from the Dodgers to pay the McCourts [really, how else could one explain the Blue Land 1 and Blue Land 2 parking lot debacle?] ), and have “winning” as a one word goal, not the first component of a compound word as we’ve seen the past few years (“winning ‘cheaply'”, “winning ‘in spite of ____'”, etc.).

An owner who has shown, in his playing days, an inherent knowledge and understanding of “Championships” as a measuring stick from which to measure achievement (again, one word. Not “‘Division’ Championships” or :: snicker :: “‘Wild Card’ Championships” [an oxymoron]) , instead of The McCourt Way, contentment with the mere rubbing of elbows with October Baseball.

The Dodger Way was a multi-pronged effort of enhancing player development from the ground up, maintaining a top-of-the-line farm system, league-leading development overseas, and a true family of members who have grown from batboys and attendants to franchise icons and, in Charles Ebbets’ case, team president and ownership.

The McCourt Way seems to be leverage and purge current resources (which have taken generations to refine) in the hopes that the TV money will fix everything, finding more benefit in destroying Dodger Tradition and rebuilding it in his name.

Should the nightmare end, we need an owner who will have respect for the organization. We haven’t had one of those since 1997.

Hey, nedajerk, thanks for your research on Cody Ross. That Mercury News article really says it all about the Dodgers GM. A player drives in seven runs with two HRs, has only 15 major league ABs, and is designated for assignment 4 days later. Of course, this is the same GM who cut Jason Werth loose, has given away numerous Dodger prospects in lopsided, unecessary trades, and has wasted millions and millions of dollars on washed up players. The real question in all of this is how does Ned keep his job??? Performance like that would have gotten most GMs fired long ago!

Redfox: He had to cut Jason Werth loose. He wasn’t responding to Vladimir Shpunt’s good vibrations.

Shad: Thanks for the links about Cody Ross. Hate to see him in black and orange, especially after his hot start in Blue. D\I don’t see why the ones calling the shots have been so afraid of youngsters. If nothing else, they’re cheap.

Letting Ross go was bad, he’d look great in our outfield right about now and could also provide some of the missing power in this line-up, letting Werth go in a way I can understand, he was injured and he didn’t seem like he was getting better, but the absolute worst, and I’m sure it will come back to bite us, was uncle Ned’s trade of McDonald and Lambo for 1 month of Dotel. Pittsburgh loves McDonald and he’s already their best pitcher. Factor in he’s young and cheap, and I wonder how Neddie keeps his job. The worst GM in baseball, working for the worst owner in baseball, that’s how!

I think you could say the same thing with Victorino but it just make you think if we was going to sign guys like Gonzales, Lofton still which we had sign him to another one year deal instead of giving Pierre that big contract, Jones and trading for Manny. An OF’s of Werth, Kemp and Ethier could’ve been the best defense in the league or Victorino, Kemp and Ethier and you could even switch Kemp and Victorino and play Victorino in CF.

Hindsight is always 20/20 when dealing with “what-ifs” and “coulda-shouldas.” At the time, Jayson Werth was a player that missed almost two full seasons and there were other options available. I remember I didn’t want him cut lose, but oh well. He was arbitration eligible and the powers-that-be said thanks for your time:
“With four players eligible for salary arbitration, the Dodgers tendered contracts to pitchers Mark Hendrickson and Joe Beimel, but not to Jayson Werth or Toby Hall, who became free agents…Werth, 27, missed the entire 2006 season with a wrist that underwent a second operation after the season. He was originally injured when struck by an A.J. Burnett fastball in the Spring Training opener of 2005.”

More importantly, as long as the name of this blog is “Where were you on October 15, 1988?”, I’ll offer “Where were you on November 15, 2005?”, the day this organization hired Ned Colletti…or worse “Where were you on October 10, 2003?”, the day Ken and Barbie bought the Dodgers.

Lilly welcome back. Glad that he will continue to wear Dodger blue!
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Magic Johnson as Dodger Owner….doubt it happens, his passion is Basketball.
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I don’t remember where I was on that day! But I’m sure I was in my house doing something???

Ah, good old hindsight, that little skill that makes us all experts after the fact. It is fun to think about what might have been, so for entertainment purposes only consider what might have happened had that ever popular J.D. Drew and his agent not pulled a fast one on the Dodgers to opt out of his contract for better opportunities elsewhere. And don’t forget to ponder on what might have been had the Dodgers been willing to take a chance on the emerging and raw Matt Kemp for centerfield rather than going after A. Jones. Clearly, how much worse could an inexperienced Kemp have been than that out of shape excuse for a baseball player we were forced to endure? I will also admit to pondering a Dodger outfield that included Werth, Kemp and Ethier but I doubt that will happen.

As for Cody Ross, he was just another nondescript outfielder in the organization at the time. Not sure how he came to the Dodgers but he was not originally drafted by them. I was a bit surprised to see his home run totals the past two seasons but clearly the Dodgers did not see him ever as an everyday player. I did hear on the radio the other day the Giants were interested in him earlier in the year but really had no place for him when they took him on waivers. I heard the reason they took him was to prevent the Padres from getting him. Once again, hindsight makes the Giants look smart.

In 2003, Ross was named the Detroit Tigers Minor League Player of the Year. The following offseason, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitcher Steve Colyer.

He was traded to the Marlins from the Cincinnati Reds for cash or a player to be named later (Ben Kozlowski). In 2006, Ross posted modest statistics for three different teams but had two seven-RBI games and a three-home run game. On April 13, 2006, as a member of the Dodgers, he hit a tie-breaking grand slam and a three run home run.

Thanks, Shad. We all know that being named an organization’s Minor League Player of the Year doesn’t mean much. The Dodgers have a few of those still in the minor leagues. We also know a journeyman player sometimes rises to the occasion in big postseason games as Ross has done so far. It makes for a good story and the fact that he once was a Dodger does put a bit of a twist on things.

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